Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sitting apparatus and, more particularly, to a sitting apparatus having at least one armrest assembly upon which a user in a sitting position can support his/her arm.
Background Art
There are currently many different types of sitting apparatus that incorporate an armrest assembly to allow a user in a sitting position thereon to support his/her arm(s). The sitting apparatus with the arm supports may be in the form of a task chair, a lounger, etc. The sitting apparatus may be floor mounted, wall mounted, or even ceiling mounted. For simplicity, the basic function and deficiencies of existing armrest assemblies will be described with respect to a conventional task chair, with it being understood that the design criteria and objectives are the same for basically all types of sitting apparatus that incorporate one or more armrest assemblies.
The conventional task chair has a frame with a wheeled pedestal upon which a seat assembly is supported. The chair may be provided with or without a backrest assembly. Laterally spaced armrest assemblies are provided at the sides of the seat assembly. Each armrest assembly has a surface to support the elbow and forearm regions of a user in a sitting position on the seat assembly. Typically, the surface on each armrest assembly is nominally flat with a reference plane thereon generally parallel to a subjacent support surface. The armrest assemblies are constructed so that the respective surfaces thereon can be raised and lowered to accommodate a particular user size and/or to assist the performance of different tasks. Normally, the surfaces are also movable selectively towards and away from each other and each may be repositionable around a vertically extending axis.
More and more, users utilize laptop computers, tablets, PDAs, etc, while sitting in this type of chair. Generally, the user will hold the particular device with both hands while supporting the elbow and/or forearm regions on the spaced surfaces on the armrest assemblies.
The horizontal orientation of the armrest assembly surfaces does not result in the particular device being optimally positioned with the user's forearms and/or elbows supported thereon. Consequently, the user will generally exercise one of three options with this conventional chair construction.
The first option is to simply observe the screen/monitor of the device from a somewhat awkward angle. This can eventually lead to eye strain and generally detracts from an otherwise potentially enjoyable activity.
The second option is for the user to lift his/her arms off of the armrest assemblies to place the particular device in a better location in terms of allowing easier observation of the screen/monitor and facilitating operation of the device as through a touch screen or keyboard. When the latter option is exercised, the armrest assemblies essentially become functionless other than to provide a resting place for a user periodically after his/her arms become fatigued.
The third option is to rest only the elbows on the armrest assembly surfaces. This requires hinging of each hand at the wrist and each forearm at the elbow to optimize a viewing angle. This can become fatiguing in a short period of time since the wrists and forearms remain unsupported and may be placed at awkward angles.
If the user wishes to have the benefit of an inclined backrest, the above problems may be aggravated since the user becomes further distanced from the held device and is placed at an even more inconvenient angle with respect thereto from the standpoint of both viewing and operation thereof.
In spite of the ever increasing use of laptop computers, tablets, smart phones, and other screen based technology, the industry has offered users thereof no reasonable alternative to basic task chair designs to facilitate use of that technology in a sitting position.